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President Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Franklin’s illness proved a blessing in disguise, for it gave him strength and courage he had not had before. He had to think out the fundamentals of living and learn the greatest of all lessons-infinite patience and never-ending persistence.”

~Eleanor Roosevelt~

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Minor updates to this website where made on November 3, 2017 @ 6:30 PM EST

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At the bottom of this page is a "Comment" section for you to leave messages for me & visitors.

"A new rendition of the song sung by Dala at the induction captures how she sang it to us back in 1949. She also sent Christmas cards to (I assume) all her ex patients. I received one every year. My mother ensured I replied."

PLEASE note Sony/ATV Music Publishing is Dala’s music publisher, as well as the music publisher representing the rights for the song “There’s A Bluebird On Your Windowsill”. They have sole copyrights to this song. You may visit Dala's website at http://www.dalagirls.com/ for purchasing their music and information about the group. I am told by a polio survivor, "This is just the way the writer, Carmen Elizabeth Clarke entertained the Canadian Children at the Vancouver Hospital for Sick and Cripple Children during the polio epidemic years. Watch carefully to Dala Girls performance as they give their hearts to the lyrics and I can almost see the smiles upon children's faces and as adult polio survivors today. Dala Group http://www.dalagirls.com/ and this song comes from the heart. On behalf of all Polio Survivors, thank you Dala and Sony/ATV Music Publisher.

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Here "There's a Bluebird on your Windowsill" is performed by the group, Dala Girls. Please visit their site and buy their music. From this performance you can see the feeling and love they put in their songs.

A polio survivor has said the Dala Girls sing the song much like (Elizabeth Clarke) the nurse performed to the children.

As you listen to the video, try to imagine the sick children expressions as Mrs. Clarke performed to them and the staff. I'm sure it lifted their spirit. Had this happen to me (in 1959) when I was 3 at the Warm Springs Hospital (Georgia) for 3 months, there is no doubt in my mind it would have made a great impression on me throughout my life.

A CHILD LOOKING OUT A WINDOW

Photograph Removed by Owner of this site May 2, 2017.

Note from James:

Edited: April 13, 2017

I have been operating a non-profit website for a number of years now and never have I heard of Elizabeth Clarke and without a doubt is an unsung hero to all past and present sick and disabled children (along with adult polio survivors) of the world.

From a polio survivors email, I learned of this extraordinary Canadian women. Her name was (Carmen) Elizabeth Clarke, a nurse at the Vancouver Sick Children's Hospital in the late 1940's and 1950's during the polio epidemic years. I do not know if most of the patients had been stricken by the polio virus.

"A child looking from his hospital window saw a sparrow on his windowsill. When Ms. Clarke learned of this she wrote a poem and song lyrics for "There's a Bluebird on your Windowsill". She sang/performed this song to the children and they eventually called it, "Our song." (This excerpt was placed here from other sites on the internet).

Children from the polio years were often hospitalized from 3 months to as much as several years. I was one of those children. We were most always in much pain, separated from our families, laying flat in our beds and given various treatments. To have had a nurse like Ms. Clarke to bring smiles and cheer to children's faces would in my book be an angel of mercy to never be forgotten, especially by polio survivors.

As I research her name it appears very little was mentioned of her heroics in history. I have found very little information about her life and what influenced her to be the extraordenary nurse that she was. The song became a hit in Canada and the USA. A polio survivor said the Dala Girls sang it very much like Ms. Clarke did to the children.

When you listen to the Dala Girls sing "There's a Bluebird on your Windowsill", it is ovious to me they put their hearts into their performance as shown above, just as I am sure Ms. Clarke did for the children and staff of the Vancouver Hosipital for Sick Children.

Many have stated Ms. Clarke left procedes (past and present) from this song to all the Hospitals for Sick Children throughout Canada.

(April 10, 2017) Heartfelt thanks go out to the management of the Dala Girls. To the Dala Girls......thank you for your performance and th singing of this song, not only for the memory of Ms. Clarke and the sick children.

YouTube 3: I located this YouTube by Margaret Martin today Apr 2, 2017. It appears she published this video on July 1, 2015. She mentioned Dr. Bruno's book and right away she caught my interest. Her explanation of how the polio virus, then (onset) and now (post), affected the muscles was very well said. Her suggestions for exercises I believe was carefully thought out. You be the judge.

With all due respect I apologize to all my visitors for the long delay in updating this site and responding to your emails. Due to the PPS and aging I am often physically and mentally tired and my attention span is short.

Enough excuses! I received a few emails with links to share with you all. I am also going to catch up on news regarding polio. The one reliable resource I have found is by Chris Salter's Post-Polio News Daily and Post-Polio News.

I can't thank you enough Chris for your time and dedication to those of us battling PPS.

I also want to thank the polio survivor who brought my attention to the memory of the Canadian nurse, Elizabeth Clarke. She was dedicated to the hospitalized sick Canadian children of the polio epidemic years. I am thankful a polio survivor actually witnessed her good deeds...she should always be remembered and heard through her poem and song, "There's A Bluebird on Your Windowsill".

Much appreciation goes out to the management of The Dala Girls for their quick email replies and for allowing the continued link above for sharing a performance that will bring a smile to everyone's face (and adult survivors) as you visualize sick children being sang to with this song.

I am trying to put together a story/bio based on facts regarding Ms. Clarke. If you were a patient of hers or you have any information to help me in my research of her life, PLEASE do not hesitate to let me know at james011155 at yahoo dot com. I will keep names or other information private if that is your request.

I was looking for post-polio support groups, and came across your website. Thank you for putting that together. Honestly, I haven't read everything, but it's nice to know that the information is there.

I had post-polio syndrome just three weeks after turning 28 years old. I was on top of the world prior to that, working as an accountant for the number one accounting firm in the world back then. On that fateful day in 1999, my world collapsed. I still haven't fully accepted what happened, but I know that things will get better when I do. It's just so hard to accept that in spite of all my academic and personal achievements (i.e., graduated magna cum laude), I am now reduced to this-- being classified with druggies/bums because I am now living in a low-income housing. and not able to work.

I know you're a total stranger, so I shouldn't ramble on like that. However, you put your story out there; I felt I should do the same.

Wishing you an awesome and blessed week,

Cleo

EMAIL

Full name withheld .... if you have the answer to Connie's question, please email me.

Below is a URL for the article Connie mentioned.

Connie's Email January 6, 2017:

Dear James,

My name is Connie and I’m contacting you because my mother, Viola Fuller, who turns 100 on September 23, 2017, believes she’s the oldest polio survivor in the state of North Dakota where she lives. Is there any way to verify that?

I’ve attached an article that was printed in the Minot Daily News (Minot, North Dakota) in 2013.

"For almost thirty years, Dr. Richard L. Bruno has studied and treated nearly 6,000 polio survivors and is the world's leading expert on Post-Polio Sequela (PPS)."

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Personal Opinion: Dr. Richard Bruno, as far as I know, could very well be the last remaining advocate for today's Survivors of Polio. It was his hard work that helped pass an SSDI Rule to allow Polio Survivors to become eligable for Disability on a much faster basis. His contribution to Polio Survivors is so much I doubt it could all be listed. He actively maintains the "International Centre For Polio Education" and likely answers thousands of emails from Polio Survivors. I would have to say there are two men I admire greatly for their support for victims of the Polio Virus and that is President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dr. Richard L. Bruno.

I highly recommend Dr. Bruno's book, "The Polio Paradox" to ALL polio survivors and or people who have family members and friends who were affected by one of the three types of polio. Medical professionals, Medical Universities, etc should read this book to give them a better understanding of this virus and how to treat baby boomers for PPS.

Click the book below and it will take you to Amazon dot com giving you more detail. You can purchase either the hardback, paperback or a Kindle e-book version. It would be a great resource for family members, friends of polio survivors and medical professionals. Please take a minute to read Amazon's reviews as it appears some people found the book helpful others did not. As I said, personally for me it was very helpful in understanding how polio virus was selective when it affected certain body parts. Also, how the neurons (damaged and over used) eventually came to help cause PPS in later years.

The "Polio Survivors Handbook" ebook has the

suggested donation amount of $5.50 .

If interested please click here or the book to your left to be taken to

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a paid ad nor was it requested by anyone associated with the above/below mentioned websites. This is only for information purposes based on the editor's (James Davis) personal experience with the helpfulness of this (these) product(s).

PolioToday.org is constantly updated and appears to have many members.

My personal advise is this site is a must for all Polio Survivors!

As survivors we are fortunate PolioToday.org was created for our benefit.

PolioToday.org is published by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The website is designed to raise awareness of post-polio syndrome and to be a resource for polio survivors. Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the first safe and effective polio vaccine, founded the Salk Institute in 1960. (Description from PolioToday.org)

Visit PolioToday.org to see more videos and life stories from polio survivors.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

If you want to know more about me and my occasional thoughts feel free to visit my blog. Currently due to the time I am spending working on this site I have not updated my Blog in awhile.

"Polio Survivors in the 21st Century" was created and is maintained by James Davis, a survivor of polio. Stricken at age three and a half in October 1959, in Northeast Georgia, United States of America and treated at The Warm Springs Foundation Hospital for three months. The residuals resulted in severe atrophy of the legs and required lifetime use of full length Kafo Leg Braces. The PPS and the aging process is now causing debilitating physical problems from the neck down and has triggered mental and psychological issues forcing early retirement.

Month/Day/Year will always be posted when changes are made to individual pages on this website.

URL's and text from external sources, where ever possible, will contain an active URL for the location from which the information was obtained.

If by mistake I have placed copyright material on this site

please let me know and it will be removed immediately.

Medical Disclaimer: All visitors of this website need to be aware this page and others on this website are to inform ONLY. These pages DO NOT replace any advice or health information from a health professional. I, James Davis, am NOT a medical professional in any way. This website is based on my experience and knowledge of Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome. I AM a POLIO SURVIVOR (see note at bottom of this page) and my website is dedicated to other polio survivors throughout the world.

Privacy Policy:I DO NOT collect personal or non-personal information from this website.This website does not collect cookies. At the bottom of this page is a counter that provides me with statistics on; number of visits, the country and page views. The owners of all emails/stories on these pages have given me permission to post them here. Emails to me is kept private and confidential.

Advertising: As you will find throughout the website THIS IS A NON-PROFIT WEBSITE! This website does not host any form of advertising. Links and banners leading to books and other polio related sites are for your informational purpose only and I DO NOT CONSIDER THESE TO BE ADs but only resources to help our post-polio survivors community.